Elderly woman abandoned by her children, rescued by a community

For three years, Telezina Julius and her grand-daughter had been spending nights in a shed made from the remains of iron sheets of a house she had.

Each passing day, Julius who lives in Mulanje survives from small piecework for her and the grandchild to bite something for their stomach.

Being blessed with nine children with three alive now, Julius could have been a single parent enjoying the medal of raising the children through support and care from them.

But she faces the sad reality of abandonment by her children who she gave birth to many years back.

She does not remember the year she last set her eyes on the two sons and one daughter who are alive.

“My daughter literally calls me a witch and she wonders why am I still alive, I don’t know what wrong I did to her” explained Julius while holding her emotions.

She explained that one son married in Phalombe district and has work to do while the other stays in the same district Mulanje, but none spares time to come and cheer her up.

With her state of poverty, Julius enjoys less interaction with community members around her place.

Last week, members of the Community of St Egidio handed over a newly constructed house to Julius.

As a problem of the house has been resolved by the well-wishers who also provided food items, clothes and beddings, she places her worry on a few days to come when she runs short of the donated food items.

She is relying on mango trees around her place as she sells fruits when they are ready for the market.